ETCHIN@INDSVAX1.BITNET (12/20/89)
Hi! Could somebody tell me how many observatory in the world still use
the forth language to control the telescope? Thanks in advance!!!
Sincerely
Barry
P.S. my address: in%"etchin@indsvax1.bitnet"BARTHO@CGEUGE54.BITNET (PAUL BARTHOLDI) (12/20/89)
> Hi! Could somebody tell me how many observatory in the world still use > the forth language to control the telescope? Thanks in advance!!! We do, and intend to continue so, and not only for telescope control but for a lot of different things, including office automation etc. Of course we do not use forth for everything, fortran, c, modula2 are our main languages. But what is clear is that most of what we have written using forth would probably never been to such sofistication with any other language. We use forth on hp1000 (the first version we got in 1975), intel 8085, vax 780/vms, sun 3/60/unix4.2, atari 1040ST (forthmacs), ibm&clones PC etc Happy Christmas ! Paul Bartholdi
magun%sun.iap.unibe.ch@CERNVAX.BITNET (Andreas Magun) (12/20/89)
We use a home brew 32-bit FORTH ( Fig-Forth derived ) on ATARIs (ST1040) and on VME-bus systems (MVME101, MVME107) in multiprocessor configurations. The systems are used for the steering of small radio astronomical antennas, fast data acquisition of radio and optical data with CCD-Cameras, a data link between 2 Observatories and data analysis. Merry Christmas and a happy new Year to all FIGI-L participants Andreas Magun
rfl@oddjob.uchicago.edu (Bob Loewenstein) (12/22/89)
We use it here at Yerkes and we are using it for various dedicated processors for the ARC 3.5meter at Apache Point. Until recently, the IRTF at Mauna Kea used it, and the MMT used it when I was there several years ago (I don't know if they still do). While there has been a trend to move away from large scale applications, Forth is still an excellent environment for instrument control, both in developmental and testing situations, and in a turnkey final program. It's also great in the lab where using a computer is just like setting up equipment...you don't know what you need until you get some prelimnary findings...so Forth enables you to quickly modify the program you use to acquire data and manipulate it. (or at least get it into a form readable by another computer).